Rocket Summer

Tenderhearted indie pop's certainly not without its share of bright-eyed wunderkinder; investigate vintage work by youngsters Ben Lee, Ash and Kleenex Girl Wonder for sharp melodies voiced through rapidly deepening voices. Dallas has produced a few high-profile prodigies in Eisley and Ben Kweller, who've both won national acclaim for recent major-label discs. As folks who've watched him hone his songwriting chops around here know, 22-year-old Bryce Avary might be next in line for out-of-town attention: Calendar Days, the debut full-length by Avary's one-man band the Rocket Summer, has just been relaunched by his record label, Huntington Beach, California-based the Militia Group. And as folks who heard Calendar upon its original release in early 2003 know, the disc deserves wider acclaim: It's high-energy guitar-pop delivered with an infectious, youthful joie de vivre, chockablock with multitiered melodies and the best instrumental detailing Avary's dad's $15,000 could buy. If Avary faces an obstacle on his way to MTV2 domination, in fact, it might be his reluctance to indulge in the drag-ass miserablism so many baby-faced emo stars seem to enjoy.